


help (is sometimes the hardest thing)

by Hellokaelyn



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, post 17x06
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2021-01-25 19:57:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21361840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hellokaelyn/pseuds/Hellokaelyn
Summary: Admitting you need help can sometimes be the hardest thing..but there comes a time when it all becomes too much.
Relationships: Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres
Comments: 8
Kudos: 87





	help (is sometimes the hardest thing)

Panic filled her chest.   
  
Different scenarios ran through her head, every one worse than the last.  
  
She clutched her steering wheel tightly, speeding through the mostly empty streets with her eyes focused on the road in front of her.   
  
Gibbs' voice rang through her head like a warning sign.   
  
_Something happened with Torres, Bishop._   
  
He never explained more, just that Nick was alive before hanging up after telling her where. He obviously wasn't in the hospital either or Gibbs would have sent her there not some address.   
  
When she finally got there, she hazardly parked the car, jumping out and right away flashing her badge to the Metro cops blocking off the scene. Ellie didn't even care about the looks she was getting. She had ran out of the apartment in her sweatpants, shirt that was actually Nick's and too big for her, her robe that was being used as a jacket, and sneakers she had slid on at the last second before she left. Her hair a wild mess from her pillow and running her fingers through it on the ride over.   
  
"Gibbs!" She shouted, running to where he was standing by the ambulance.   
  
She had expected to see Nick either inside it or sitting on the edge. Instead she stopped short and lost her breath for a moment.   
  
A body was being loaded into the ambulance, someone she had only seen a few times and never for long.  
  
Elena, Nick's girlfriend.  
  
Ellie's head snapped in Gibbs' direction, eyes wide with panic. Nick's girlfriend was dead, but where was he?  
  
"She wasn't who she said she was."   
  
"W-What? Gibbs what the hell is going on? Where's Nick?!"  
  
"Elena Devol was nothing but an alias." Gibbs told her, frustration seeping into his voice as he went on. "A really good backstopped one. She worked for the CIA until she got fired, but someone screwed up and didn't burn her backstopped Devol alias." Gibbs clenched his jaw just slightly. "She decided to take matters into her own hands on the case that got her fired, killed every person with even the slightest connection to it..Torres was the last one on her list. He did some work for the CIA a few years ago and that case was one of them, he wasn't read into all of it so he knew nothing about Devol."  
  
Ellie blinked in shock, letting the words sink in. "Did the CIA willingly tell you all this?"  
  
"Some. Torres told me the rest..she had a lot to say."   
  
"Where is he?" Ellie asked, her voice cracking at the end making Gibbs give her a knowing look that she ignored.   
  
Gibbs nodded to his right. Ellie swallowed the lump in her throat. Nick was sitting on the curb, blood covering his clothes and neck, and his eyes staring straight ahead not reacting to anything around him. "He hasn't said a word since telling me. He already got checked out, just some cuts and bruises..take him home Bishop, I got it from here."   
  
"Gibbs.."  
  
He put a hand on her shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze. "Yeah..Torres killed her, it was either her or him."  
  
Ellie let out a small whimper as Gibbs walked away.   
  
Her heart _hurt_ for him.   
  
She knew Nick didn't love Elena, but he liked her enough to keep going out with her. And he had just- Ellie quickly wiped away a tear that fell before walking over to him.   
  
He looked almost _broken_ and she had never seen him like that even after the whole thing of him being drugged. She knew everyone had a breaking point...and she feared this was his.  
  
"Nick?" Ellie said softly and quietly, crouching down in front of him and gently placing her hands on his knees.  
  
"...Ellie?" He choked out, voice scratchy and hoarse. Nick blinked and slowly his eyes moved to her.   
  
"Yeah..I'm here Nick, I'm here." She whispered, rubbing her thumb along his knee. It was barely noticeable but she saw it. He let out a shaky breath and his body relaxed just slightly from its tense posture.   
  
"You shouldn't be."   
  
"Why's that?"   
  
"I killed her." He choked out.  
  
Ellie saw it coming. The way his eyes watered, his body shaking, the constant swallowing. In a quick motion she helped him off the curb, leading him to her car with an arm around him.  
  
He broke the second they got in and were away from prying eyes, she knew he had been holding it in not wanting to break in front of all those people. But he had no reservations about it with her.  
  
Ellie felt her own tears fall as Nick's sobs filled her car. It was uncomfortable but she leaned over and wrapped her arms around him, his tears soaking her robe.   
  
There were no words exchanged but she had known him long enough, spent most of her days with him even on their days off. Ellie knew this wasn't just about Elena, it was everything that had been building up finally coming free.   
  
This was Nick's final straw and undoing.  
  


  
  
Ellie sat on a small stool in front of Nick who sat on the edge of her bathtub, if this was any other time she'd be a blushing flushed mess at the fact Nick was in front of her wearing nothing but a towel, but that was the furthest thing from her mind at that moment.   
  
She dipped the hand towel into the hot water beside her, wringing it out before bringing it back up to Nick's neck where she gently wiped away the blood he had missed when showering. It was obvious he hadn't even tried to get it off, most likely had just stood under the spray of warm water.   
  
"Ellie?"  
  
"Yeah?" She answered gently, glancing at him as she ran the towel against his skin.   
  
"I wasn't going to kill her..I didn't want to-"  
  
"I know Nick-"  
  
"No you don't." He swallowed. "She..Elena..she taunted me, knew what to say. She said after she killed me she'd come after you- I just- I couldn't let her."  
  
Ellie sucked in a sharp breath. His confession making her hand freeze in her movements. Nick had killed Elena to protect her. Her breathing came out shaky as Nick lifted a hand and grabbed hers holding the towel, letting it drop to the bathroom floor with a plop as he took her hand in his.   
  
"Nick.." She breathed out his name.   
  
"I-" He let out a deep loud breath, his hand shaking in hers. "I think..I think I need help."  
  
Ellie blinked back her tears, a relief filling her at his words. She knew it took a lot for him to admit it out loud..and she was proud, so very proud. For months he had been struggling in silence trying so hard to hide it and act normal, brushing away her worries and concerns.  
  
"We'll call Jack and Grace tomorrow and see where we go from there." Ellie said, placing a hand on his cheek.  
  
"We?"   
  
She smiled. "We're in this together, Nick."  
  
A tear fell down his cheek that she wiped away as he nodded. She could see the relief in his eyes at not being alone in this like he was so used to being.  
  
With his hands held tightly in hers, she leaned forward and gently rested her forehead to his. Nick let his eyes fall shut, his shoulders sagging as that relief filled him.   
  
She wasn't going anywhere.


End file.
